Nasty CFC rumours
SPRAGGETT ON CHESS
YOU DID NOT HEAR IT FROM ME!
Read no further if you don’t promise not to tell!
SERGE ARCHAMBAULT TO RUN FOR CFC PRESIDENT?
Serge Archambault, one of Canada’s few competent International Arbiters, is slated to announce his bid to run for the CFC presidency sometime this week. The popular Quebecer could become the first non-anglophone to occupy that position. Last week Serge wrote me with the news, which ofcourse I look upon very positively.
After all, how much lower can the CFC fall? We could do a lot worse than Serge: the outgoing Prez is chronically unemployed and has been for years; before that, a bi-polar Ottawa civil servant whose wife would not let him have internet at home (porn-issues, no doubt!) and who disappeared for months at a time because of obvious medical issues; before him a Toronto business man whose idea of ‘cut and slash’ actually meant doing so on the legs of CFC volunteers…the recent history of the CFC presidency is nothing to be proud of!
In as many years, the CFC has lost close to a third of its membership; sold its business office for less than it was worth; gave away its book and equipment business; eliminated its printed magazine; fried its website and wrecked its rating system.
Today the CFC membership struggles to 1,800
The CFC could do a lot , lot worse than Serge Archambault as President. Good luck, Serge! I hope you get elected…
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DEADLINE FAST APPROACHING!
FIDE announced last week the list of participants for the World Cup that is to start August 26 in Khanty Mansiysk. Every participant has until June 20 to sign a formal contract with FIDE. Failure to do so could result in disqualification. While Toronto GM Mark Bluvshtein is listed (Mark qualified from the Mexican continental championship), there is no mention of either GM Bator Sambuev or IM Eric Hansen !
Canada is zone 2.2, and as such the winner of the recently held Canadian Zonal is seeded automatically. However, as reported last week on this blog, the CFC executive has a potentially very large and costly problem on its hands!
Both Sambuev and Hansen tied for first with 7.5 pts in 9 games and then immediately played a tie-break match to decided the official title holder. Sambuev won narrowly.
It was originally reported that Sambuev had forfeited his right to play in the World Cup, but this apparently is not the case! As of last week, according to reliable sources, Sambuev wanted to go. The problem, however, is that the CFC Prez Gillanders and FIDE rep Bond promised Hansen the trip!
The Cheech and Chong of Canadian Chess
Not a peep of this situation has been made public on either of the message boards in Canadian chess. The membership is completely in the dark about it, and of the veiled threats of legal action that could see the CFC bankrupted if the situation is not successfully navigated.
More later!
PS:
SPRAGGETT ON CHESS
PS:
I just received the email below from the Calgary Chess Club (thankyou!) that gives this item some sort of finality. No details, but atleast it appears that the spot from Canada will not be lost due to administrative bungling.
”It appears that Hansen will be going to the World Cup. Not sure why the CFC hasn’t announced this officially, but it is now a fact. I went over the contract with Eric last night and it is probably in FIDE’s hands by now.
Love your blog! Very entertaining. ”
SPRAGGETT ON CHESS